Is a Reeves Muntjac Deer the Right Exotic Livestock for You? Other common names: Reeves Muntjac; Barking Deer The basics: The Reeves' Muntjac is a muntjac species which is native to southeastern China (Gansu to Yunnan) and in Taiwan. They have also been introduced in the Netherlands, England and Ireland. It takes its name from John Reeves, who was appointed Assistant Inspector of Tea for the British East India Company in 1812. The Reeves' Muntjac is also called the barking deer, known for its distinctive bark, though this name is also used for the other species of muntjacs. Along with the slightly smaller Leaf Muntjac Deer , Reeves Muntjac Deer are currently being bred as pets in the United States. Appearance / health: This muntjac grows to 0.5m high at the shoulder, 0.95 m (37 inches) in length, and weighs between 10 and 18 kg (22-40 pounds) when fully grown. It is dog-like in appearance but has striped markings on its face.

The male has short antlers, usually four inches or less, and uses them to push enemies off balance so he can wound them with his upper two inch canine teeth. Housing / diet: The Reeves Muntjac Deer feeds on herbs, blossoms, succulent shoots, grasses and nuts, and was also reported to eat trees. Muntjac Deer and other exotic animals for sale. Muntjack Muntjac Deer are also known as Barking Deer are the oldest known deer, appearing 15-35 million years ago, with remains found in Miocene deposits in France and Germany. The present-day species are native to Southeast Asia and can be found from India to southeast China, Taiwan and Indonesianislands. Reeves's Muntjac has been introduced to England and is now common in some areas there. Being tropical, there is noseasonal rut and mating can take place at any time of year, a behavior retained by populations introduced to temperate countries. Of the ten species of Muntjac deer the common muntjac, also called Indian Muntjac is the most numerous species. It has soft, short, brownish or grayish hair, sometimes with creamy markings.

This species is omnivorous, feeding on fruits, shoots, seeds, birds' eggs as well as small animals and even carrion. It gives calls similar to barking, usually on sensing a predator (hence name, barking deer). The male Indian muntjac has small antlers which can be 6 inches (15 cm) in length and have only 1 branch. They grow annually from a bony stalk on the head. Length: 35ï¿½53.2 in (89ï¿½135 cm); shoulder height: 15.7ï¿½25.6 in (40ï¿½65 cm); weight: 33.1ï¿½77.2 lb (15ï¿½35 kg). The males are extremely territorial and can be fierce for their size. They will fight each other for territory using their antlers or their (more dangerous) tusk-like upper canine teeth, and can defend themselves against predators such as dogs. Muntjac are of great interest in evolutionary studies because of their dramatic chromosome variations and recent discoveries of several new species.

A curious barking deer - YouTube A curious barking deer Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Sep 26, 2012 The Indian Muntjac (Muntiacus muntjac) is a common modest sized deer found across India. Also known by different names such as' kakar' in Hindi, the common muntjac and red muntjac. It has soft, short, brownish or greyish hair, sometimes with creamy markings. This species is omnivorous, feeding on grass,fruits, shoots, seeds, birds' eggs as well as small animals. It sometimes even displays scavenging behavior, feeding on carrion. It gives calls similar to barking, usually on sensing a predator. The Barking deer can be tamed and can adjust to a variety of habitat. This species is one of eleven different species of muntjacs spread across Asia. The Indian muntjacs specifically are widespread throughout Southern Asia, but are one of the least known Asian animals.

Paleontological evidence proves that Indian muntjacs have been around since the late Pleistocene epoch at least 12,000 years ago. Since then, they have played a major role in Southern Asia, being hunted for sport as well as for their meat and skin. Often these animals are hunted around the outskirts of agricultural areas as they are considered a nuisance for damaging crops and ripping bark from trees. However, this animal is still in an abundance in Southern Asia, numbering anywhere from 140,000-150,000 in India alone as of 2004. The Indian muntjac is found in tropical and subtropical deciduous forests, grasslands, savannas, and scrub forests, as well as in the hilly country on the slopes of the Himalayas. They are found at altitudes ranging from sea level up to 3,000 meters (9,800 ft). They never wander far from water. Also, males usually have their own territory, which may overlap the territories of a few females but not of another male.

Source: Wikipedia This footage is part of the professionally-shot broadcast stock footage archive of Wilderness Films India Ltd., the largest collection of imagery from South Asia. The Wilderness Films India collection comprises of thousands of hours of high quality broadcast imagery, mostly shot on HDCAM 1080i High Definition, HDV and XDCAM. Write to us for licensing this footage on a broadcast format, for use in your production! We are happy to be commissioned to film for you or else provide you with broadcast crewing and production solutions across South Asia. We pride ourselves in bringing the best of India and South Asia to the world... Reach us at wfi @ vsnl.com and admin@wildfilmsindia.com. Category Barking Deer - Barking Deer Information, Muntjac Deer of India, Indian Kakad Deer Search Barking Deer Muntjac deer fall in the category of those deer that are shy and elusive. They are also known by the name of Kakad deer or the Barking deer in India. The reason for the latter name is their alarm call, which seems very much similar to the barking of a dog. Indian Muntjac deer counts amongst the ten subspecies of the Barking deer in the world.

Physical Traits The height of the barking deer of India is somewhere between 50 cm to 75 cm. Their average lifespan is 20 to 30 years and they weigh somewhere around 20 to 30 kg. They can be easily distinguished from the other deer. The deer have two raised dark ridges on their forehead, which extend till their antlers. One of the unique features of Kakad deer is that they have both, a pair of antlers as well as overgrown canines (tushes). They make use of the tushes mainly as weapons in a fight. Behavior Kakad deer are very shy creatures and prefer to live in isolation. One rarely finds them moving around in groups. Even if you find them in company, it will not be more than that of a single deer. The alarm call of a Muntjac deer is taken seriously only when it is repeated endlessly. Diet The low height and small stature of Indian Muntjac deer make grass and fallen fruits the perfect food for them. Natural Habitat The Barking deer are mostly seen inhabiting dense forests of India. Even while grazing, they will rarely move into open grasslands and usually remain near the edge of dense forests.

However, one can frequently find the Muntjac deer of India at salt licks. Apart from the Kalesar forest of Haryana, they are found in almost all the dense jungles of the Indian subcontinent. Status Barking deer is still not counted amongst the endangered species. Nevertheless, the government has imposed a ban on their hunting.

National Parks Muntjac deer are frequently sighted in the following national parks of India: Corbett National Park Indian muntjac or Common Muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak) Reeves's muntjac or Chinese Muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi) Hairy-fronted muntjac or Black Muntjac (Muntiacus crinifrons) Fea's muntjac (Muntiacus feae) Bornean Yellow muntjac (Muntiacus atherodes) Roosevelt's muntjac (Muntiacus rooseveltorum) Truong Son muntjac (Muntiacus truongsonensis) Leaf muntjac (Muntiacus putaoensis) Fea’s barking deer videos, photos and facts - Muntiacus feae | ARKive Link to this photo Embed this ARKive thumbnail link ("portlet") by copying and pasting the code below.

<a href="#src=portletV3web" title="ARKive species - Fea’s barking deer (Muntiacus feae)" ><img src="" alt="ARKive species - Fea’s barking deer (Muntiacus feae)" title="ARKive species - Fea’s barking deer (Muntiacus feae)" border="0"/></a> Terms of Use - The displayed portlet may be used as a link from your website to ARKive's online content for private, scientific, conservation or educational purposes only. It may NOT be used within Apps. Read more about Barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak) Muntiacus muntjak (Eberhard August Wilhelm von Zimmermann, 1780) The Indian muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak), also called the red muntjac, common muntjac or barking deer, is the most numerous muntjac deer species. It has soft, short, brownish or greyish hair, sometimes with creamy markings. This species is omnivorous, feeding on grass, fruits, shoots, seeds, birds' eggs as well as small animals.

It sometimes displays even scavenging behavior, feeding on carrion. It gives calls similar to barking, usually upon sensing a predator (hence the common name for all muntjacs of barking deer). The male Indian muntjac has small, unbranched antlers which grow to about 15 cm sp=us in length. The antlers grow annually from a bony stalk on the top of the head. Males are extremely territorial and—despite their diminutive size—can be quite fierce. They will fight each other for territory using their antlers or their (more dangerous) tusk-like upper canine teeth, and can even defend themselves against certain predators such as dogs. Introduction The Indian muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak) is also commonly called the "barking deer" due to the bark-like sound that it makes as an alarm when danger is present. It is also called "Kakar". Sometimes these deer will bark for an hour or more. This species is one of eleven different species of muntjacs spread across Asia. The Indian muntjacs specifically are widespread throughout Southern Asia, but are one of the least known Asian animals.

Paleontological evidence proves that Indian muntjacs have been around since the late Pleistocene epoch at least 12, 000 years ago. Since then, they have played a major role in Southern Asia, being hunted for sport as well as for their meat and skin. Often these animals are hunted around the outskirts of agricultural areas as they are considered a nuisance for damaging crops and ripping bark from trees. However, this animal is still in an abundance in Southern Asia, numbering anywhere from 140, 000-150, 000 in India alone as of 2004. Description The Indian muntjac has a short but very soft, thick, dense coat, especially those living in cooler regions. Coloration of the coat changes from dark brown to yellowish and grayish brown depending on the season. The muntjacs' coat is golden tan on the dorsal side and white on the ventral side of the body, the limbs are dark brown to reddish brown, and the face is dark brown. However, the ears have very little hair which barely covers them.

Male muntjacs have antlers that are very short, about 1-2 inches, usually consisting of only two or three points at the most and protrude from long body hair covered pedicels on the forehead. Females have tufts of fur and small bony knobs where the antlers are located in males. Males also have slightly elongated upper canines about an inch long that curve slightly outward from the lips and have the capability to inflict serious injury upon other animals or to other members of the population while exhibiting aggression. Males are generally larger than females. The body length of muntjacs varies from 35-53 in long and their height ranges from 15-26 in tall. Habitat The Indian muntjac is among the most widespread but least known of all mammals in South Asia. It is found in Bangladesh, southern China, northeastern India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Malay Peninsula, the Riau Archipelago, Sumatra, Bangka Island, Belitung, Java, Bali, and Borneo. This species is most densely located in Southeast Asia.

The Indian muntjac is found in tropical and subtropical deciduous forests, grasslands, savannas, and scrub forests, as well as in the hilly country on the slopes of the Himalayas. They are found at altitudes ranging from sea level up to 3000 m sp=us. They never wander far from water. Also, males usually have their own territory, which may overlap the territories of a few females but not of another male. Diet The Indian muntjacs are classified as omnivores. They are considered both browsers and grazers with a diet consisting of grasses, ivy, prickly bushes, low growing leaves, bark, twigs, herbs, fruit, sprouts, seeds, tender shoots, bird eggs and small warm-blooded animals. Indian muntjacs are typically found feeding at the edge of the forest or in abandoned clearings. The muntjac’s found in the Nilgiri-Wayand area of south India are always sited in the large tea estates, as they feed mostly the tea seeds. Their large canine teeth help in the processes of retrieving and ingesting food. Reproduction The Indian muntjacs are polygamous animals.

Females sexually mature during their first to second year of life. These females are polyestrous, with each cycle lasting about 14 to 21 days and an estrus lasting for 2 days. The gestation period is six to seven months and they usually bear one offspring at a time but sometimes produce twins. Females usually give birth in dense growth so that they are hidden from the rest of the herd and predators. The young leaves its mother after about six months to establish its own territory. Males often fight between one another for possession of a harem of females. Indian muntjacs are distinguished from other even-toed ungulates in showing no evidence of a specific breeding season within the species. Behavior Other than during the rut (mating season) and for the first six months after giving birth, the adult Indian muntjac is a solitary animal. Adult males in particular are well spaced and marking grass and bushes with secretions from their preorbital glands appears to be involved in the acquisition and maintenance of territory.

Males acquire territories that they mark with scent markers by rubbing their preorbital glands (located on their face, just below the eyes) on the ground and on trees, scraping their hooves against the ground, and scraping the bark of trees with their lower incisors. These scent markers allow other muntjacs to know whether a territory is occupied or not. Males will often fight with each other over these territories, sufficient vegetation, and for primary preference over females when mating using their short antlers and an even more dangerous weapon, their canines. If a male is not strong enough to acquire his own territory he will most likely become prey to a leopard or some other predator. During the time of the rut, territorial lines are temporarily disregarded and overlap while males roam constantly in search of a receptive female. These deer are highly alert creatures. When put into a stressful situation or if a predator is sensed, muntjacs will begin making a bark-like sound. Barking was originally thought of as a means of communication between the deer during mating season as well as an alert.

However, in more recent studies it has been identified as a mechanism used solely in alarming situations meant to cause a predator to realize that it has been detected and move elsewhere or to reveal itself. The barking mechanism is used more frequently when visibility is reduced and can last for over an hour regarding one incident. Muntjacs exhibit both diurnality and nocturnality. Genetics The female Indian muntjac deer is the mammal with the lowest recorded diploid number of chromosomes, where 2n = 6. The male has a diploid number of 7 chromosomes. The similar Reeves's Muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi), in comparison, has a diploid number of 46 chromosomes. Conservation status Not threatened. This article uses material from the Wikipedia released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike Licence 3.0 . Please see license details for photos in photo by-lines.

Videos of Barking deer Muntiacus muntjak Common names English: Barking deer, Indian muntjac, Bornean red muntjac, Red muntjac, Southern red muntjac, Sundaland red muntjac Subspecies (Cecil Boden Kloss, 1928) - Indochina Muntiacus muntjak aureus (Charles Hamilton Smith, 1826) - Peninsular India Muntiacus muntjak bancanus (Marcus Ward Lyon, Jr., 1907) - Belitung and Bangka islands Muntiacus muntjak curvostylis (John Edward Gray, 1872) - Thailand Muntiacus muntjak grandicornis (Richard Lydekker, 1915) - South India and Sri Lanka Muntiacus muntjak montanus (Herbert Christopher Robinson & Cecil Boden Kloss, 1918) - Sumatra Common name(s): (Eberhard August Wilhelm von Zimmermann, 1780) - Java and south Sumatra Common name(s): (Henri Jacob Victor Sody, 1932) - Bali and L

ombok Islands Muntiacus muntjak nigripes (Glover Morrill Allen, 1930) - Vietnam and Hainan Island Common name(s): (Jacob Herman Frederik Kohlbrugge, 1896) - South Borneo Muntiacus muntjak robinsoni (Richard Lydekker, 1915) - Bintan Island and Lingga Islands Muntiacus muntjak rubidus (Marcus Ward Lyon, Jr., 1911) - North Borneo Muntiacus muntjak vaginalis (Pieter Boddaert, 1785) - Burma, Thailand (Khao Yai) to Southwest China Common name(s): , Marcus Ward Lyon, Jr.

(1911) Muntiacus bancanus , Marcus Ward Lyon, Jr. (1906) Cervus pleiharicus , Jacob Herman Frederik Kohlbrugge (1896) Cervus moschatus , Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville (1816) Cervus muntjak Deer Information - Red, Fallow, Muntjac & Roe Facts Image Source In all deer species (except the reindeer), only the male has antlers. Antlers are shed each Spring and immediately a new set starts to grow, taking 16 weeks to reach full size in August. Antlers are made of a type of dense and very solid bone and whilst growing they are covered with a hairy skin called ‘velvet’ which is shed when the antlers have reached their full size for that year. The buck or stag uses his antlers to fight other males during the mating season, known as the rut, which lasts for three weeks in October. The ‘rut’ is the period of time when antlered ungulates mate.

During the rut (also known as the rutting period), male ungulates often rub their antlers or horns on trees or shrubs, fight with each other and pursue estrus females by their scent. Fallow Deer Fallow deer (Dama dama) is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. They are now found throughout much of England and parts of Wales and locally in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Fallow deer were probably first brought to England by the Romans, however, the main introduction was by the Normans in the eleventh century for hunting purposes. Today, Fallow deer are easily tamed and are increasing in number and distributing slowly throughout the parks and forests of Britain. There are now more deer in the South East today than there were 500 years ago. The Fallow deer was a native of most of Europe during the last Interglacial. The population of Fallow deer pre-breeding season is estimated to be 128,000. Fallow Deer Description Male fallow deer (bucks) have ‘palmate’ antlers – a wider and flatter spread with less distinct tines than the red deer, these are broad and shaped like a shovel.

Female fallow deer (does) do not have antlers. Young fallow deer are called ‘fawns’. Bucks measure around 140 – 160 centimetres in length, 90 – 100 centimetres in shoulder height and weigh around 60 – 85 kilograms. Does measure 130 – 150 centimetres in length, have a shoulder height of 75 – 85 centimetres and weigh 30 – 50 kilograms. Fawns are born in springtime and measure around 30 centimetres in height and weigh around 4.5 kilograms. Fallow deer are very variable in colour, with four main varieties, ‘common’, ‘menil’, ‘melanistic’ and ‘albinistic’. The common form has a bright chestnut coat with white mottles that are most pronounced in summer with a much darker, drab grey-brown coat in the winter. The albinistic is the lightest coloured, almost white. Common and menil are darker and melanistic is very dark, even black. ADVERTISEMENT Most herds consist of the common form but have menil form and melanistic form animals amongst them.

Fallow deer have yellow-white undersides, white spots and a black line that runs along the back to the tip of the tail. The spots become less prominent or disappear completely in winter. Fallow Deer Habitats Fallow deer are grazing animals. Their preferred habitat is mixed woodland and open grassland. Fallow deer typically occupy deciduous woodland with open patches. They are also kept semi-domesticated in parks. Fallow Deer Diet Fallow deer are grazers and pure vegetarians/herbivores. Their diet consists of grass, young shoots, leaves, bark, heather, sweet chestnuts, acorns, cereals, herbs, berries and acorns. Fallow Deer Behaviour During the rut, bucks will spread out and females move between them, at this time of year fallow deer are relatively ungrouped compared to the rest of the year when they try to stay together in groups of up to 150 individuals. Fallow Deer Reproduction When competing for access to females, males ‘display’ by groaning, thrashing their antlers and by walking alongside their opponent. Fighting occurs if both stags are evenly matched and involves wrestling and clashing of antlers.

Does give birth to a single fawn after a gestation period of 31 – 32 weeks (around 8 months). The Fallow doe usually leaves the herd to search for a private hiding place to give birth. After the fawn is born, usually in May or June, it remains in its hiding place (in bushes or undergrowth). The doe returns every four hours to feed it until it is about four months old, when it joins the herd. The fawn is weaned after 7 – 9 months. The life span of the Fallow deer is about 12 – 16 years. Fallow Deer Conservation Status The Persian fallow deer (Dama dama mesopotamica) is classified as Endangered, however, other subspecies are not considered to be at threat. Muntjac Deer Muntjac deer (Muntiacus reevesi), also known as Reeves Muntjac, Chinese Muntjac and Barking Deer, belong to the genus Muntiacus. Muntjac are the oldest known deer, appearing 15 – 35 million years ago, with remains found in Miocene deposits in France and Germany.

Introduced into Britain from China in 1900, many escaped from their private estates and are now well established in southern England, where they colonize woodland and dense scrubland. Muntjac deer were introduced to Woburn Park, Bedfordshire and to parks in Hertfordshire and Northamptonshire. Muntjac deer are of great interest in evolutionary studies because of their dramatic chromosome variations and the recent discovery of new species. The pre-breeding season population of Muntjac deer is estimated 128,000 and increasing. Muntjac Deer Description The males, or bucks, have short backward curving antlers (maximum length 15 centimetres) which are shed in May or June and re-grow to full size by October or November. These are not used as weapons, however, the elongated, protruding tusk-like teeth of the male can be used for this purpose. In common with all deer species except the reindeer, the female muntjac deer do not have antlers, they have tufts of hair in place of antlers. Female Muntjac Deer have tusks, however, these are shorter than the males.

Males also have a V-shaped marking running from their forehead to their nose. The Muntjac deers body length can measure up to 90 centimetres in length, about the same size as an adult fox. They have a shoulder height of 45 – 52 centimetres and weigh around 12 – 15 kilograms. Muntjacs are small deer, with dark red-brown fur and white patches on the chin, throat and rump. Muntjac Deer Habitats The Muntjac deers preferred habitats are Woodland, scrub and undisturbed gardens. Muntjac Deer Diet Muntjac deers are browsing mammals and feed on shrubs, shoots, grass, fruit and shoots. They sometimes cause damage by stripping bark from trees. Muntjac Deer Behaviour Active by day or night, muntjac deer are mostly seen at dusk. They utter loud barks over prolonged periods and equally loud distress calls. They are mainly solitary animals, however, they may be seen in family groups. Muntjac Deer Reproduction Muntjac deer have no seasonal rut and mating can take place at any time of year. However, this behaviour is retained by populations introduced to temperate countries.

The gestation period is 210 days and the fawn is weaned after 8 weeks. Muntjac deer have a life span of up to 19 years. Muntjac Deer Conservation Status This species of Muntjac deer is not considered to be endangered. Red Deer Red deer (Cervus elaphus), commonly called ‘hart’ in the United Kingdom, are Britain’s largest native land mammal and, together with the roe deer, are our only native deer species. All other deer species have been introduced. A male red deer is called a ‘Stag’ and a female Red deer is called a ‘Hind’. Although red deer are native to Britain, they can be found in many other parts of the world. The Red Deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor and parts of western and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Algeria and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being the only species of deer to inhabit Africa. Red Deer have been introduced to other areas including New Zealand and Argentina. In many parts of the world the meat (venison) from Red Deer is widely used as a food source.

Although at one time Red Deer were rare in some areas, they were never close to extinction. Reintroduction and conservation efforts, especially in the United Kingdom, have resulted in an increase of Red Deer populations, while other areas, such as North Africa, have continued to show a population decline. In Britain the pre-breeding season population is estimated to be 316,000. Red Deer Description Red Deer are ruminants, characterized by an even number of toes on each hoof and a four-chambered stomach.The average male red deer has a body length of 210 centimetres, a shoulder height of 120 centimetres and weighs 295 kilograms (650 pounds). A female Red deer is slightly smaller and more lightly built, measuring 107 centimetres at shoulder height. A stag reaches its maximum size at the age of 6 – 7 years. Red Deer tend to be reddish-brown in their summer coats. Male Red deer grow branching antlers and have long neck hair in their winter coat. The male deer of the British Isles and Norway tend to have the thickest and most noticeable neck manes, compared to the other subspecies.

Male deer of all subspecies, however, tend to have stronger and thicker neck muscles than female deer, which may give them an appearance of having neck manes. During the autumn, all Red Deer subspecies grow a thicker coat of hair which helps to insulate them during the winter. Autumn is also when some of the stags grow their neck manes. By the time summer begins, the heavy winter coat has been shed. The Red deers are known to rub against trees and other objects to help remove hair from their bodies. Red Deer have different colouration based on the seasons and types of habitats, with grey or lighter colouration prevalent in the winter and a more reddish and darker coat in the summer. Only the stags have antlers which start growing in the spring and are shed each year, usually at the end of winter. Antlers are made of bone which can grow at a rate of 2.5 centimetres (1 inch) a day. A soft covering known as ‘velvet’ helps to protect newly forming antlers in the spring. Red Deer Habitats The Red deer is essentially a forest animal, but mainly found in Britain on the moorlands of Scotland and Devon.

Red Deer in Britain generally spend their winters in lower altitudes and more wooded terrain. Red Deer Diet Being a ruminant animal, the Red deer eats its food in two stages similar to camels, goats and cattle. The animal digests plant-based food by initially softening it within the its first stomach, known as the rumen, then regurgitating the semi-digested mass, now known as cud, and chewing it again. The process of again chewing the cud to further break down plant matter and stimulate digestion is called ‘ruminating’. The Red deers main diet is grass, young heather shoots, moss, young leaves, shoots of trees and in the winter they will strip bark from trees. Red Deer Behaviour During the summer, red deer migrate to higher elevations where food supplies are greater for the calving season. Red deer are active both day and night, however, activity peaks at dawn and dusk. Red Deer Reproduction The gestation period for the female Red deer is 9 months (33 – 34 weeks). A single calf is born (very rarely twins) in May or June and lies hidden in the undergrowth, well camouflaged.

The calf is weaned after 9 – 12 months and reaches sexual maturity after one and a half years. The life span of a red deer is 25 years. Red Deer Conservation Status Red deer are not considered to be endangered in the UK, and in some areas, they are over-populated and may be culled. Other red deer subspecies are listed on the 2000 Red List. Shous (C.e.affinis) MacNeill’s red deer (C.e. macneilli) Tibetan red deer (C.e. wallichi) are classified as Data Deficient. Atlas deer (C.e. barbarus) are classified as Lower Risk. Bactrian deer (C.e. bactrianus) are listed as Vulnerable. Corsican red deer (C.e. corsicanus) Kashmir red deer (C.e. hanglu) Yarkand deer (C.e. yarkandensis) are listed as Endangered. Roe Deer Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), became extinct in most of England during the 18th century, however, during the 19th century they were reintroduced.

Before 1960 they were treated as vermin due to the damage they cause to the forestry industry. Roe deer are found throughout Europe, but they are absent from Ireland, much of Portugal, Greece and large parts of England and Wales. They also inhabit Asia. Sightings of Roe deer have become more common in back gardens in outer suburbs. One of the latest sightings of Roe deer was in a back garden in Brentwood, Essex. The Roe Deer is quite a small deer, with a body length of 95 – 135 centimetres (3.1 – 4.4 feet), a shoulder height of 65 – 75 centimetres (2.1 – 2.5 feet) and weighing 15 – 30 kilograms (33 – 66 pounds). The Roe Deer has rather short, erect antlers and a reddish body with a grey face. Its hide is golden red in summer, darkening to brown or even black in winter, with lighter undersides and a white rump patch. The Roe Deers tail is very short (2 – 3 centimetres (0.8 – 1.2 inches) and barely visible.

Only the males have antlers, which are lost during winter, but which re-grow in time for the mating season. The first and second set of antlers are unbranched and short (5 – 12 centimetres (2 – 4.7 inches), while older bucks in good conditions develop antlers up to 20 – 25 centimetres (8 – 10 inches) long with 2 or 3, rarely even four, points. When the males antlers begin to regrow, they are covered in a thin layer of velvet-like fur which disappears later, after the hairs blood supply is lost. Males may speed up the process by rubbing their antlers on trees, so that their antlers are hard and stiff for the duels during the mating season. Roe Deer are the only type of deer that can regrow their antlers during winter. When alarmed, a Roe deer will bark a sound much like a dog and flash out its white rump patch. Rump patches differ between male and female, with the white rump patches heart-shaped on females and kidney-shaped on males.

Roe Deer Habitats The Roe Deer is primarily crepuscular (animals that are primarily active during twilight, at dawn and at dusk). Roe deer are very quick and graceful, living in woods, although it may venture to grasslands and sparse forests. They prefer woodland, particularly with open patches of ground and with access to the edges of fields. Roe Deer Diet Roe deer feed mainly on grass, leaves, berries and young shoots. It particularly likes very young, tender grass with a high moisture content such as grass that has received rain the day before. Roe deer will not generally venture in to a field that either has livestock in it such as sheep and cattle, this is because the livestock will make the grass very unclean. Roe Deer Behaviour Male roe deer ‘bark’ and make a low grunting noise or make a high pitched wolf-like whine when attracting mates during the breeding season, often luring multiple female Roe deer into their territory. Both male and female roe deer are solitary and are highly territorial, with clearly defined boundaries. Both male and female Roe deer scent mark. These scents give information about the sex, age and dominance of the individual.

Roe Deer Reproduction Roe deer are polygamous which means they have more than one mating partner. Roe Deer males clash over territory in early summer and mate in early fall. During courtship, when the males chase the females, they often flatten the underbrush leaving behind areas of the forest in the shape of a figure eight called ‘roe rings’. Males may also use their antlers to shovel around fallen foliage and dirt as a way of attracting a mate. Roebucks enter rutting during the July and August breeding season. Female Roe deers are monoestrous (having only one breeding season a year, typically in spring) and after delayed implantation, usually give birth the following June, after a 10 month gestation period. They typically give birth to two spotted kids of opposite sexes. The kids remain hidden in long grass from predators until they are ready to join the rest of the herd. They are suckled by their mother several times a day for around three months. Roe deer adults will often abandon their young if they sense or smell that an animal or human has been near it. Young female roe deer can begin to reproduce when they are around 16 months old.

Roe deer have a life span of up to 10 – 12 years. Roe Deer Conservation Status Roe deer are not an endangered species, despite the fact that up to 90 per cent die during their first year. This is due to heavy predation on fawns by foxes and by lynx in mainland Europe. Starvation and respiratory infections also take their toll.

Question: By what other name is a barking deer known
Answer: Muntjack